The Special 26 actor, considered to be one of the prime factors for the success of the original 2007 comedy, will be replaced by his Desi Boyz co-star in the second part

Of late, we have been witnessing a lot of our B-town heroes replacing their male counterparts in crucial roles. For example, Saif Ali Khan replaced Hrithik Roshan in Kabir Khan’s next; newbie Vidyut Jamwal is reportedly stepping into Irrfan Khan’s shoes in Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Bullet Raja etc. We don’t mind it one bit if the replacement is justified. But when we heard about Akshay Kumar not featuring in the second installment of producer Firoz Nadiadwala’s Welcome, we just couldn’t believe it.

Going back in time, it’s learnt that Nadiadwala waited for almost four years for Akshay’s approval for the third installment of his most anticipated sequel to Hera Pheri, but it didn’t materialise. He had then said that he couldn’t afford signing Akshay. Hmm… wonder what the Khiladi must be charging now?

As per industry insiders, John Abraham is now Firoz’s choice for Welcome 2, which is being helmed by Anees Bazmee. We think the makers’ must have considered John’s stock of promising films lined up for release this year – Shootout At Wadala and Dostana 2 – but we still feel that Akshay is a much better actor than John. So whose loss is it ultimately – Akshay for not doing Welcome 2 or Anees and Firoz for not being able to afford him anymore?

Akshay Kumar is glad that he is finally getting rave reviews from film critics for his performance in the con-flick

“I am accustomed to commercial success but not critical acclaim – I am used to rewards and not awards. I am getting recognition, and that too from critics who have never written one good word about any of my performances till this film happened. This film has given me a chance to rediscover myself as an actor.”

Prabhu Deva gave Khiladi Kumar a tough fight at the ticket counters last weekend. After witnessing a huge opening on Friday, the Prabhu Deva starrer hasn’t been able to overtake the earnings of Akshay Kumar’s heist drama. As per some box office reports, Special 26 opened with mere 30-35 percent occupancy in the theatres whereas India’s first 3D dance movie Any Body Can Dance (ABCD) recorded an average of 60 percent. But going by the latest reports, looks like the momentum is swinging in Akshay’s favour as Special 26 has topped the business charts while ABCD is progressing at a slow pace.

The Neeraj Pandey flick which released in 1750 screens started on an average note on Friday, but it picked up well over the weekend and did good business in multiplexes as compared to the single screens. Trade pundit Taran Adarsh tweeted, “Special 26 witnessed fantastic growth after a tepid start. The business grew substantially on Saturday and Sunday. Business is rocking at multiplexes. Collected approximately Rs 26.5 crores to Rs 27 crores nett in its opening weekend. Break-up: Friday Rs 7 crores, Saturday Rs 9 crores, Sunday Rs 10.5-11 crores.”

ABCD – Any Body Can Dance, which released in 750 screens, started with a bang and is generating decent business but it hasn’t been able to sustain the momentum against Akki’s film. Taran said, “ABCD has fared exceptionally well, despite no star names to lure the audience. The film witnessed ample growth over the weekend, with the 3D version running to packed houses. Collected approx Rs 19.5 crores nett in its opening weekend. Breakup: Friday Rs 5.5 crores, Saturday Rs 6.5 crores, Sunday Rs 7.5 crores.”

Over all, it’s been a good weekend for Bollywood! The two well-promoted films have received positive reviews and done good business at the box office. Now it remains to be seen how the two movies will fare through the week. Watch this space for more updates!

Akshay Kumar, Manoj Bajpayee and Anupam Kher are brilliant as con artists in this edgy flick

This is one of those times in his career where Akshay Kumar, besides Hera Pheri and OMG: Oh My God!, has managed to select a movie script so suited to his level of performance that it makes you feel he cannot get any better.Special 26 is a movie where stars don’t matter and where script is the king, and Akshay has underplayed his role so well that all his overacting of the past is, for once, forgiven.

Special 26 is a con flick, in the manner of an Ocean’s Eleven or a Matchstick Men, where Akshay Kumar and his band of merry men (Anupam Kher, Rajesh Sharma, Kishore Kadam) help rich corrupt politicians and businessmen get rid of their excess black wealth by conning them. But even though they con their prey, their own morality seems to be in place as revealed by each of their family stories. And in one such, Kajal Aggarwal plays her brief role well enough. For the con men, their weapon is their confidence and meticulous planning. They pose as CBI officers or Income Tax department folks and rob the rich fools of their belongings. During one such raid, they cross paths with a Delhi cop Ranveer Singh (Jimmy Shergill), and a game is set in motion.

As the con men are looking to commit one last big heist of their lives, the real CBI gets hot on their trail. Looking to bust the biggest heist of his life is CBI officer Wasim Khan (Manoj Bajpayee), who is hot on the tail of the pranksters and ends up dealing with a much bigger case than he expected.

The movie, with decent production values and a score to whistle along with, is a mind blowing suspense flick that manages to grab your attention with its strong story and edgy direction. And though the suspense may feel a bit forced, on second thoughts it fits great, and what we get is a decently paced con flick. It may not be the best one ever made, but it is definitely a revelation as far as Bollywood is concerned. Kudos to director Neeraj Pandey of A Wednesday fame for showing that he can direct an excellent movie based on real life incidents and yet keep it entertaining. Watch it for brilliant performances by all the actors including Manoj Bajpayee, Anupam Kher, Akshay Kumar and Jimmy Shergill.